Billionaire And His Son Betrayed Me: Brothers Back Me Up novel Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Chapter 231

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Nylia kept her head down, fidgeting awkwardly for ages before finally blurting out, “I was with Joshua”

“With Joshua,” Alia mumbled, barely meeting Cyrus’s eyes.

Honestly, it wasn’t even a big deal–teen couples hang out all the time, Nylia told herself, trying to act casual.

But why do I feel so guilty under Cyrus’s stare?

It’s like I’m sneaking out with my boyfriend and hiding it from my parents, getting a hotel together or something…

Nylia was caught between guilt and a guilty thrill, sneaking around like she was breaking the rules.

Cyrus knew immediately–that’s just how it was.

He’d been swamped with work at the hospital lately, handling several major surgeries and feeling completely drained. He hadn’t had much time to keep an eye on Xylia,

She’d been busy with her studio too, so it wasn’t unusual for her to stay out for a couple of days.

But usually, she’d text them early the next morning when she didn’t come home.

But that day, they waited anxiously until almost afternoon before Nylia finally replied.

Lately, Aaron had been buried in Garcia Group business, so Joshua had time on his hands–he was practically living at Xylia’s studio.

Cyrus could tell how Joshua had dragged his sister off without even thinking twice about it.

He was a little annoyed, but facing Xylia, he just couldn’t bring himself to actually get angry.

“Have you ever thought about tying the knot with Joshua?” Cyrus asked, his gaze gentle but probing

Xylia blinked, a little stunned at his question.

She and Joshua hadn’t been dating for long, so marriage honestly hadn’t crossed her mind yet.

She wanted to focus on building up her studio first, and worry about that kind of stuff later.

“Right now, I’m just trying to make my studio a success. Getting hitched isn’t even on my mind,” Nylia replied, straightforward.

Cyrus let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good, he thought. ‘I don’t want my little sister rushing into marriage right after we’ve finally found

each other.‘

‘It’s way too soon for that!

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Even though he wasn’t all that happy about Joshua as a brother–in–law, he couldn’t deny the change in Xylia– ever since she started dating Joshua, she’d become visibly brighter, her cheeks rosier, her whole vibe just overflowing with happiness.

Just for that, Joshua had absolutely earned the right to stay by her side.

After chatting with Cyrus, Xylia stepped out of the consultation room.

Joshua was nowhere to be seen by the door.

She was about to call and ask where he was, but then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him all the way down the hallway, busy on his phone.

She couldn’t help but smile as she headed his way.

As she got close. Nylia overheard Joshua speaking in a low, dangerous tone–a real edge to his voice, almost radiating hostility.

“Bring him back and wait. I want to see just how tough he really is,” Joshua said, the menace in his words. unmistakable.

He hung up and was just about to turn back when-

Joshua saw Xylia standing right behind him.

“How long has she been there?‘ he wondered, momentarily taken aback.

Thinking back to the phone call he’d just had, Joshua felt a brief stab of guilt–he really hoped Xylia hadn’t

overheard too much.

He knew he was no saint. Joshua could be ruthless, and his ways were hardly squeaky clean.

He’d do anything to keep that side of himself hidden from Xylia.

“Hey, baby, all done talking with Cyrus?” Joshua asked, his tone suddenly turning sweet, flipping from cold to gentle in an instant.

Joshua walked over and took Xylia’s hand, giving it a soft, reassuring squeeze,

“I’ve got something I need to handle soon. Let me take you back to your studio first, then I’ll pick you up later. How about I spoil you with a homemade dinner tonight?” Joshua said, a warm smile flickering on his face.

Xylia glanced up at him, worry etched in her eyes. “Did something happen? You looked seriously pissed off just now.”

“I grabbed a spy tailing me. I’m about to find out exactly who sent him,” Joshua replied, his voice cold but

controlled.

Since Xylia had heard everything, Joshua didn’t bother trying to hide the truth from her.

He just didn’t want Xylia to see the side of him that could be brutal or dangerous, but he also didn’t want to

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Chapter 231

hide everything from her and let her imagination run wild.

Xylia thought back to the dangerous edge in his voice just moments ago.

She pictured him years ago, covered in blood, lying on some grimy foreign street.

Her fingers curled around his hand without thinking.

“Can I come with you?” Xylia asked softly, but her tone was determined.

Joshua looked at her, clearly surprised, then shook his head firmly.

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“No way. If he doesn’t talk, I might be forced to use some… extreme measures. I don’t want you to see that side of me. I’m afraid you’ll end up being scared of me, maybe even hating me,” Joshua admitted, his voice low

and tense.

Xylia saw he really didn’t want her involved, so she didn’t insist.

She could only remind him softly, “Just be careful, okay?”

“Sure thing. If you get a craving for anything later, just text me–let me cook something special for you tonight,” Joshua said, his voice softer now.

Xylia had originally planned to go home tonight.

But she couldn’t relax until she was sure Joshua was safe, so she just nodded sweetly.

After dropping Xylia off at her studio, Joshua spun his car around and headed straight for Norhill Clubhouse.

David was already waiting by the entrance.

Joshua tossed his keys to the valet without even breaking stride and strode right inside.

David quickly fell in line behind him.

As they walked, David started giving Joshua a rapid–fire rundown of the situation.

“Mr. Garcia, this guy’s insisting your uncle Grant is the mastermind,” David reported with a frown.

Joshua gave a cold snort. “Seriously? What, does he expect Grant to crawl out of his coffin and go after him?”

Grant Garcia had passed away two years ago.

‘Let’s see which so–called ‘uncle‘ they’re actually working for,’ Joshua thought, his eyes narrowing.

The VIP lounge was shrouded in dim, moody lighting.

On the floor lay a guy, beaten black and blue–his face was a bloody mess and his clothes were smeared with red.

The coppery stench of blood filled every corner of the room.

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When Joshua strode in, all the bodyguards crowded around the guy quickly stepped aside, making way for

him without a sound.

Joshua headed straight for an English–style sofa, sat down with his hands clasped calmly in front of him, his eyes steady and cold as he fixed his gaze on the bloodied man below.

“Okay then, tell me how did my uncle Grant reach out from beyond the grave and order you to go after my dad?” Joshua mocked, his words laced with biting sarcasm.

The guy lying on the floor was stunned speechless for a second, completely thrown off by Joshua’s jab.

Then it dawned on him–Joshua was pointing out Grant had been dead for years.

He’d just been totally exposed.

The guy tried to scramble up, but a bodyguard stepped forward and slammed a foot down on his back, pinning him to the floor.

“Spit it out,” Joshua ordered, his gaze pinning the battered man in place.

Joshua watched him, eyes cold and razor–sharp, never letting up for a second.

Finally, the

guy croaked out, “Grant Garcia gave me this job before he died. I’m just here to finish the task he left for me.”

Technically, Grant wasn’t really Aaron’s brother at all.

The Garcia family always kept the bloodline tight–Grant was just a distant relative from an offshoot branch.

The Garcia Group was a gold mine, with all sorts of relatives swarming in for their cut. Grant was by far the boldest and most aggressive of them.

Grant grew up overseas, picking up tricks that would have landed him behind bars for life if he tried pulling them back home.

Back in the day, Grant kept going after Aaron and his father, but in the end, he ended up losing–beaten by Aaron himself.

Joshua didn’t buy a word of it.

This

guy had been Aaron’s driver for years.

Five years embedded right next to Aaron, just now deciding to strike–no way in hell would this be about someone who’s been dead for years.

Joshua’s patience was wearing thin. He glanced up at one of the bodyguards, his gaze sharp and commanding.

Without hesitation, the bodyguard whipped out a knife and with brutal efficiency severed one of the guy’s fingers.

The guy’s scream echoed through the room, sharp and piercing.

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The soundproofing was top–notch, so Joshua wasn’t the least bit worried about anybody overhearing. Annoyed by the screaming, he just ordered someone to gag the bastard, not caring for the noise.

“I’ve always been the type to pay back favors–and debts–with interest. You mess with me, I mess with you. Since you tried to take out my family, I’m not about to let you walk away alive,” Joshua said, his voice cold and unwavering.

Joshua stated flatly, his tone devoid of any warmth.

“But if you’re not really the one pulling the strings, and you can give me some solid info, I might just let you walk out of here alive,” Joshua warned, iciness still lingering in every word.

“So, here’s your choice–lose every single finger and get tossed to the wolves while you’re still alive, or cough up the real name and maybe, just maybe, you walk out breathing,” Joshua threatened, his voice icy and merciless.

By the time Joshua finished, three bloody fingers were already lying on the ground.

Desperate now, the guy shot Joshua a pleading look, eyes wide and frantic, begging for a chance to speak.

The bodyguard didn’t even flinch–one more finger hit the floor before the grip finally loosened.

His voice was just a weak whisper, shaking as he blurted out a name without a second thought.

Joshua’s face fell, ice creeping into his eyes as the name hit him. ‘No way… he’s actually alive?‘##234.Chapter 234 Cheer Him Up

Josie brought in a dedicated HR person to take care of recruitment, handing them full responsibility for hiring new staff.

She didn’t have to worry about recruiting anymore; the HR person would handle everything.

With the team getting bigger, their small studio just couldn’t keep up, and it was time to relocate the company as soon as possible.

Xylia had already locked down the new office, and she and Josie picked an auspicious date to make the move -next Wednesday.

Josie, taking a rare break, sprawled out on the couch in Xylia’s studio, her eyes wandering up to the ceiling.

“Honestly, I thought we’d be working out of here a lot longer. Crazy it’s only been a couple months. Did we even renew the lease for the rest of the year?” Josie wondered aloud.

Xylia glanced up from the designer profiles the HR had just handed her and gave Josie a knowing nod.

“I’m planning to just buy the place. So if you ever want to come over and chill, it’s yours whenever,” Xylia offered with a smile.

Josie grinned at that and shot Xylia an approving thumbs–up.

“No wonder you’re the Sadler family heiress, Xylia–always so generous!” Josie grinned.

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Buying that place? That’s gotta cost at least seven figures.

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Orders were rolling in lately, sure, but honestly, the studio’s profits still weren’t hitting the goals they’d set.

“The hustle isn’t over yet, we’ve still got work to do!‘ Josie thought with a determined smirk.

Xylia had already narrowed down the ten resumes to five designers she wanted to interview.

After sending the list to the new HR person, she walked over and took a seat beside Josie.

“Once we’ve moved and filled all the positions, things will get a lot easier,” Xylia said, stretching a little.

“I’m not tired at all–in fact, I’m really happy. Seeing our studio grow day by day, I feel so proud,” Josie said, her pride shining through.

She meant every word.

But her gaze, full of thoughts, stayed fixed on the ceiling, not once meeting Xylia’s eyes.

Xylia could tell Josie was carrying something heavy on her mind.

And it just seemed to be getting heavier.

Even though they were close, Xylia knew better than to push Josie if she didn’t want to talk.

So she simply offered a few words of comfort.

“Josie, no matter what comes your way, I’m always here to listen, and I’ll have your back—always,” Xylia said, her voice gentle and full of warmth.

Josie was taken aback for a moment, her mind blanking as she was caught off guard by Xylia’s genuine

support.

With those words, Xylia gave Josie’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before quietly stepping out of the office.

Josie watched her leave, eyes turning red as she bit her lip, holding back the tears threatening to fall.

The studio had been a whirlwind of activity lately.

At first, Xylia was worried about Joshua, but with the nonstop rush, honestly, he was the last thing on her mind these days.

By the time she finally wrapped things up and returned to the office, Joshua was already there–she had no clue when he’d shown up.

He was sprawled out in her chair, looking totally laid–back as he browsed through the documents on her desk.

Xylia didn’t care that he was reading through her files.

As she gazed out the window, it suddenly hit her–she hadn’t checked her phone even once all afternoon.

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There was a missed call and several messages from Joshua, but she hadn’t responded to any of them.

‘Damn, I totally forgot to check, Xylia thought with a sigh.

She walked into her office, apologizing as she made her way over to him.

“Sorry, I didn’t check my phone–I completely missed your call,” she said to Joshua.

Joshua held out his hand, silently asking Xylia to come over.

Xylia walked up to him, and he gently pulled her into his lap.

Joshua wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the warm curve of her neck. Breathing in her soft, sweet scent, he finally felt the weight on his shoulders begin to ease. ‘Only she can make me feel this calm,‘ he thought.

Xylia noticed Joshua had changed outfits, a detail she’d picked up instantly. ‘He must’ve been busy,‘ she mused.

Xylia leaned close and asked with concern, “How did everything go? Did you find out who’s behind it?”

Joshua nodded but didn’t mention any names. Instead, he said, “I’ll have someone looking out for you–you’ll be safe, I promise.”

Xylia hesitated, her worry obvious. “But… what about you?”

As Xylia looked down, all she saw was Joshua’s messy, soft hair–he wouldn’t even look up.

Joshua wouldn’t let go–he was holding her so tight she almost couldn’t breathe. Softly, she patted his back, trying to comfort him.

“Can you ease up a little? I can barely breathe here,” Xylia mumbled, her voice both soft and teasing.

Joshua finally loosened his grip, lifted his head, and looked into her eyes–worry flickered across his face as he answered her.

“I’ll protect you myself when I can, but you know I can’t be with you every minute. The bodyguards will stay out of your way, I promise,” he reassured her, his concern clear.

Xylia frowned, her brows drawing together. “Wait… someone’s actually targeting me?”

‘Is this for real?‘ she wondered, feeling a chill run down her spine,

Joshua shook his head. “No, it’s me they’re after.”

“Then maybe you should be the one with protection,” Xylia replied, concern creeping into her voice.